The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of a hot water heating installation.
In its more specific aspects the present invention relates to a new and improved, hot water installation comprising a burner for fuels which are fluent or flowable, a heat exchanger connected to a heating circuit and housed above a hearth or combustion area for solid fuels, the hearth or the like being located in a living area of a building or structure.
The heating of closed spaces, particularly living rooms or areas is generally accomplished by a central heating installation or system. Such heating system comprises a central heating room or area, as already indicated by the term, in which there are located a burner, a boiler and the required auxiliary aggregates or units. The radiators in one or a number of houses or premises can be heated by the water heated in the boiler. To keep the near or close-range immissions of the heating installation, like noise, excessive local heat development and possibly dirt away from the living areas or rooms, the heating or furnace room is generally located in the cellar or basement. This requirement to keep away undesired close-range or near immissions of the heating system from the living areas or rooms at one time was decisive in developments leading from individual or storey furnaces or stoves to central heating systems.
The desire to still nonetheless have an open fire in the living areas or rooms, despite the expulsion of the heating system therefrom has resulted in the installation of an open fireplace or fire side. Since, however, such an open fireplace or hearth is unsuited for room heating, a central heating system or installation still had to be installed in addition to the fireplace or the like.
For the purpose of energy conservation attempts have been made to prevent that the heat released in the fireplace is dissipated through the flue. As a result, flues have been provided with heat exchangers for air or water. In a fireplace of this design as disclosed, for example, in Swiss Pat. No. 350,783, granted Dec. 15, 1960, a heat exchanger for water containing a system or bank of tubes is installed in the neck or upper portion of the jacket of the fireplace. The tube system is connected to the conduit or piping system of a central heating installation or to a radiator.
As described in, for example, Swiss Pat. No. 428,139, granted Jan. 15, 1967, fireplaces provided with a heat exchanger may contain a transparent window for closing the hearth. By closing the hearth or the like the air supply, and thus, the rate of combustion of the fuel can be regulated and the heat exchange process can be optimized.
Fireplaces provided with a heat exchanger and a window permit the recovery of a portion of the heat which is generated in the fireplace. Connection of the heat exchanger to the central heating system permits utilization of the recovered heat for room heating. Such heat or thermal energy is sufficient for the heat requirements of cold summer evenings and cold spring and autumn days. Moreover, due to the more direct action and the additional thermal radiation of the fireplace, such heat or thermal energy permits more rapidly heating-up a room. In spite of such advantages the combination of a fireplace and a heat exchanger only constitutes a momentary or secondary heating installation for individual rooms under the aforementioned climatic conditions. Notwithstanding the same there cannot be dispensed with a main or primary heating installation for the entire house or for the entire apartment, i.e. a central heating system. The operation and control of the two eventually complementing or augmenting hot water heating circuits, each provided with an individual heat exchanger, is complicated since upon igniting, extinguishing or readjusting the one heat source or flame or the one heating circuit, the condition of the other heating circuit must be taken into account or readjusted, as the case may be. Furthermore, a portion of the heat generated in such an installation by the boiler of the central heating system is transferred to the environment, possibly undesiredly heating the same, and is lost.